The California Freedom to Read Act will now require public libraries to adopt a written and publicly available policy to forbid a governing body from barring the circulation of materials because of their content, per The Los Angeles Blade. The public libraries can no longer ban books in a way that discriminates against race, disability, political affiliation, socioeconomic status, gender identity or sexual orientation. According to the American Library Association (ALA), the number of reports challenging the circulation of books rose to 65 percent from 2022 to 2023, reaching the highest level recorded by the ALA; book titles containing subject matter on LGBTQ+ and communities of color made up 47 percent of reported targeted censorship attempts.
Terryon Thomas (aka Mr. Prada)—a 20-year-old TikTok influencer in Louisiana with more than 66,000 followers—was arrested for the brutal murder of therapist William Nicholas Abraham, 69, The Advocate noted, citing Law & Crime. Abraham’s body was found wrapped in a blue tarp and dumped on a rural highway about 15 miles south of the Mississippi border on Sunday, Sept. 29. A search of Thomas’s Baton Rouge residence revealed evidence of a bloody and violent physical altercation, with large amounts of blood; DNA analysis quickly revealed the blood came from Abraham.
Rev. Harry Stock—a gay Episcopal priest who was defrocked 40 years ago for his sexuality—announced that he’ll be reinstated as an Episcopal priest on Oct.r 26 at a church in Alexandria, Virginia, LGBTQ Nation noted. The ceremony will take place on his 43rd anniversary of having been ordained as a priest in Charleston, West Virginia, and the 40th anniversary of his defrocking. He announced this ceremony via email—and also revealed that the man he was with is now his current husband, Mark Kristofik. Stock is currently a preacher at Westminster Presbyterian Church, a pro-LGBTQ+ church in D.C; he plans to remain there, and will not be an ordained Presbyterian minister.
Approximately 820 veterans previously kicked out of the military for their sexual orientation will have their dismissals upgraded to honorable discharges following a year-long review of their service records, Military Times noted. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said the effort was undertaken “to redress the harms done by ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ and other policies on these former service members.” The military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” (DADT) policy was instituted in 1993 as a compromise to allow some level of military service for gay, lesbian and bisexual individuals; however, pro-LGBTQ+ advocates said the policy was enforced discriminatorily, forcing those troops to keep secrets about their personal lives from those closest to them. DADT was repealed in 2011, allowing LGBTQ+ individuals to serve openly in the ranks for the first time.
The Movement Advancement Project (MAP) and CenterLink released the 2024 LGBTQ Community Center Survey Report, which shows that 73% of LGBTQ+ centers surveyed reported they had experienced anti-LGBTQ+ threats or harassment over the past two years, per a press release. The report features 199 participating LGBTQ community centers in 42 states, D.C. and Puerto Rico. “As attacks on LGBTQ people escalate year after year, we applaud these centers’ ongoing dedication to serving on the front line – meeting both the immediate and long-term needs of LGBTQ people, their families, and their communities across the country,” said MAP LGBTQ Movement Building and Policy Researcher Tessa Juste.
In celebration of its 40th-anniversary year, Tom of Finland Foundation (ToFF) is presenting the Tom of Finland Art & Culture Festival 2024: Art Speaks Through Us, sponsored by Diesel, according to a press release. The Festival in Los Angeles will take place Nov. 29-Dec. 1 and, for the first time, is being held concurrently with Cleveland-based CLAW’s Leather Thanksgiving celebration. The world’s largest erotic art fair, the Tom of Finland Art & Culture Festival will take over the Hotel Indigo for its latest stop in Los Angeles. More than 30 artists, galleries and vendors will present their works. “At the milestone of our 40th anniversary, the Foundation is more focused than ever on extending Tom of Finland’s legacy by advocating for the creative freedoms of LGBTQ+ artists everywhere,” said ToFF CEO Edward Cella.
In Wisconsin, four complaints were filed by Fair Wisconsin and GSAFE, alleging “hostile environments by school boards” on behalf of transgender and nonbinary students in Winneconne Community School District, Muskego-Norway Schools, the School District of Abbotsford and Hartford Union High School District, WPR noted. (The groups filed their first complaint against the Kettle Moraine School District on Sept. 9.) “Each of these school boards have taken votes to eliminate or exclude gender identity from the anti-discrimination policies detailing Title IX protections in their districts,” said Fair Wisconsin Executive Director Abigail Swetz. “By doing this, these school boards are sending the message that trans and nonbinary students are not worthy of protection.”
The Stonewall Democratic Club of New York City, a citywide LGBTQ political club, urged Mayor Eric Adams to resign after members held an emergency vote in response to the mayor’s federal indictment, Gay City News reported. “While every individual is entitled to a presumption of innocence in the court of law, New Yorkers deserve a mayor we can trust, and whose undivided focus is on governing the city,” the club said in a statement. “We must be confident that our city’s leadership is responding to the needs of New Yorkers, and not those of special interests.” Recently, a federal grand jury indicted Adams on five counts, including bribery, fraud and seeking foreign campaign contributions. Another citywide LGBTQ club, The Jim Owles Liberal Democratic Club of New York City, and a Brooklyn-based club, the Lambda Independent Democrats of Brooklyn, have also called on him to resign.
In Washington state, Jayla Watje—the board president of Tacoma’s LGBTQ+ community space, The Rainbow Center—announced she would resign after serving on the board for six years amid recent turmoil and restructuring, The News Tribune reported. At a special meeting Sept. 23, the board of directors also voted to re-establish the board following the recommendation of a community panel, according to an email that confirmed Watje’s retirement. In February, the center closed for about a month following the resignations of Executive Director Quincy Tyson and most of its staff, five of whom cited a toxic workplace environment.
In honor of October being LGBTQ History Month, GLAAD is profiling those who paved the path for queer people around the world—and joined six of Rupaul’s Drag Race’s most iconic queens to talk about their Asian identities and the importance of learning LGBTQ+ history., according to the organization. The queens were Plastique Tiara, Jujubee, Priyanka, Kahmora Hall, Raja and Nymphia Wind. Raja said that “it’s imperative” that we celebrate and reflect those who made this all possible. “It’s really easy to kind of take for granted the freedoms that we actually do have now as a culture, as a global community. [In] actuality, there were people who did this before us and people who really paved the way and I’m finding myself now to be in sort of that position.”
A North Dakota judge granted a request by the Catholic Diocese of Bismarck and a Catholic employers association to temporarily block the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) from enforcing part of its anti-bias regulations related to abortion, fertility treatment and LGBTQ+ workers, according to The North Dakota Monitor. U.S. District Court Judge Daniel Traynor criticized the regulations as “clearly anti-religion.” The case challenges provisions in two documents recently published by the EEOC—a rule implementing the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act and a non-binding guidance on Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which outlaws workplace discrimination.
In Hawaii, a discrimination lawsuit by gay bar Scarlet Honolulu and Gay Island Guide against the city liquor commission suddenly ended after emotional testimony during trial, Hawaii News Now reported. One of Scarlet’s co-owners, Joseph Luna, testified about growing up being forced into the closet, and later being targeted by the city’s liquor commission, years of bigotry by inspectors and, in 2021, during intense COVID restrictions, allegedly being shoved by an inspector. Following Luna’s testimony, attorneys negotiated a deal that included $670,000 to Scarlet Honolulu and Gay Island Guide; quarterly monitoring and reporting to federal court; and investigators wearing body cameras, among other things.
Ahead of its annual convention, the International LGBTQ+ Travel Association (IGLTA) announced Oregon-based First Nature Tours will receive the 2024 Impact Award, per OutSFL. The award, created in collaboration with the TreadRight Foundation, recognizes a small business that demonstrates exceptional commitment to responsible tourism in three categories—environment, community, and diversity and inclusion. First Nature Tours will receive its award at the IGLTA Convention, Oct. 23-26 in Osaka, Japan; it will be the first convention in Asia for IGLTA, which was founded in 1983.
In Massachusetts, a few people gathered to protest a drag queen story hour at the Somerville Library—but video showed about 100 supporters of the event also showed up, WCVB reported. Subsequently, a bomb threat forced the evacuation of the library and the cancellation of the story hour; no bomb was found but the threat has prompted a police investigation. Protestors did not formally identify themselves at the scene; however, online, one protestor claimed victory for canceling the story hour, taking credit along with her Super Happy Fun America sisters. “Hate has no place here in Somerville. When any one of us is hurt, we’re all hurt, so it’s just not acceptable,” Mayor Katjana Ballantyne stated.
The NFL donated $100,000 to the Trevor Project—the favorite pro-LGBTQ+ organization of Carl Nassib—for National Coming Out Day, per LGBTQ Nation. “A huge, huge thank you to the NFL,” Nassib said on the NFL Network in announcing the donation. “It’s really positive stuff.” Nassib came out as gay in 2021; at the time, he donated $100,000 to the Trevor Project, which seeks to prevent LGBTQ+ youth from harming themselves, and the NFL matched the donation. He retired prior to the start of the 2023 season after playing with Cleveland, Tampa Bay and Las Vegas.
The Justice Department is suing the City of South Bend, Indiana, alleging that the hiring process for entry-level police officers at the South Bend Police Department (SBPD) violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, per a media release. Specifically, the department alleges that South Bend, since 2016, has used a written test that discriminates against Black applicants and a physical fitness test that discriminates against female applicants. The Justice Department is seeking a court order to ensure that South Bend uses only lawful tests in its entry-level police officer hiring process; it’s also seeking relief in the forms of back pay and/or job offers.
Atlanta officials announced that Philadelphia resident Ralph George Drabic was indicted for allegedly vandalizing property at a Black LGBTQ+ event and defecating on a Pride flag in August, according to Atlanta News First. Drabic faces two charges: second-degree criminal damage to property and criminal trespass, both of which were believed to be “motivated by bias or prejudice,” according to Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis. On Aug. 28, police were called to an event space at the Starling Hotel; organizers with Global Black Pride, which had teamed with Atlanta Black Pride for 2024’s Atlanta Black Pride Weekend, estimated that the vandal caused between $8,000 and $10,000 in damage.
Also in Atlanta, the streets of the city’s Midtown area came alive with excitement and vibrant energy as thousands of people gathered for the annual Pride Parade on Oct. 13, Fox 5 Atlanta noted. The parade concluded just a block away from the Charles Allen Gates, where thousands of people funneled into Piedmont Park to enjoy the festival’s grand finale; known for drawing more than 100,000 attendees each year, the event capped the weekend.
In a first, Los Angeles recognized National Coming Out Day (Oct. 11), according to ABC News. The Los Angeles City Council voted to adopt a resolution declaring the city holiday in a ceremony featuring iconic and historic LGBTQ+ local figures. “Even in California, which is widely seen as a very, very liberal state, we are seeing real incidents of anti-gay, anti-queer, anti-trans rhetoric that has been very surprising,” said Los Angeles City Council Member Nithya Raman. “We want to make sure that we have spaces where people feel accepted, where people feel safe, and I think this is a real moment of concern for us.” Activists Jean O’Leary and Robert Eichberg founded National Coming Out Day in 1988.
Coinciding with the week of National Coming Out Day and October’s LGBTQ+ History Month, the Los Angeles Trade-Technical College (LATTC) unveiled its new Pride Center at a grand opening, per the Los Angeles Daily News. Organizers say the space—called Bucky’s Pride Center, after the college’s mascot, Bucky Beaver—will provide resources and an inclusive space for students who are part of the diverse LGBTQIA+ community. The opening included remarks from LATTC and Los Angeles Community College District officials including President Alfred McQuarters and trustee David Vela; a raising of the Pride flag; and special performances by local drag artists. The space officially opened to students on Oct. 15.
Southern Illinois University (SIU)-Carbondale has renamed its LGBTQ resource space as the Paulette Curkin Pride Resource Center, according to the campus newspaper. Curkin was an SIU professional who helped found the center in 2007 and served as its inaugural coordinator. Chancellor Austin Lane said renaming the center fits well with the university’s Imagine 2030 strategic plan and its pillar of diversity, equity and inclusion.
Bill Maher criticized queer singer Chappell Roan during his show, Real Time with Bill Maher, for comments she made about Gaza in a TikTok video, according to The Hill. He referenced her earlier comments in which she said it’s “important to use critical thinking” when it comes to the Israel-Hamas war, adding, “There’s a whole history of the Middle East that you and your fans aren’t hearing about.” “I didn’t learn about the Middle East from TikTok, which is a Chinese company whose totalitarian government would just love to have America’s youth hating America,” Maher also said, stating to Roan. “Now, first off, the fact that you don’t know much history isn’t your fault.”
Last month in Virginia, Dominique Goodwin was sentenced to serve 12 years and four months in prison after pleading guilty to the DUI manslaughter of trans-rights activist Shelby Riddick-Walker (aka Lexus and Lex) following a wrong-way Downtown Tunnel crash late last year, according to 13 News Now. Medical personnel had determined Goodwin’s blood-alcohol content to be 0.22—nearly three times the driving limit—and found an empty liquor bottle inside Goodwin’s car; toxicology experts did not find alcohol in Riddick-Walker’s blood. “Dominique Goodman made the decision to drink hard and drive. Ms. Goodwin killed Shelby Riddick-Walker, a beloved mentor to many in the trans community,” said Norfolk Commonwealth’s Attorney Ramin Fatehi. “Shelby did nothing to deserve her death, and we lost the light of her work too soon.”
Curtis Bashaw—the Republican nominee for New Jersey’s U.S. Senate seat—appeared to have a temporary “medical episode” during his debate against Democratic U.S. Rep. Andy Kim on Oct. 6, according to Metro Weekly. The New Jersey Globe reported that Bashaw was checked out by paramedics and first responders before returning to the stage and resuming the debate; he later blamed the incident on not eating. A spokesperson told Newsweek after the event, “Curtis is fine. He was on the campaign trail all day and didn’t get a chance to eat. He stepped offstage and had a protein bar and some Coke and came back to debate five minutes later.”
A new resource center for the queer community is opening early November in Uptown Minneapolis, according to Bring Me the News. Queermunity is planning to open on Nov 9. for pre-registered members, and will be open to the general public on Nov. 11 at 3036 Hennepin Ave. The organization was founded in 2022 by Hilary Otey and Kayla Barth; in 2023, it partnered with Finnovation Lab to begin plans on creating the community center.
In Pennsylvania, the Berwick School Board voted four to two to ban the display of Pride flags, WVIA reported. The vote came after passionate pleas from parents and allies who said the rainbow-colored flag—on display in at least one teacher’s classroom—makes students feel safe, protected and welcome. Although the new policy doesn’t explicitly mention Pride banners, U.S. flags as well as flags for states, local governments, the Armed Forces and school-sanctioned activities can be displayed. Board President Jared Yost claimed the display of Pride flags in school is unnecessary because the U.S. flag is inclusive of all students.
In Alabama, the North Shelby Library board okayed policies that will create a new youth section requiring parental supervision for access to books about sexual orientation and gender, per the Alabama Political Reporter. The new board members were appointed by GOP lawmakers representing the district after a bill passed for the legislature to take control of the board selection. Now, minors 1won’t be able to access any books regarding sexual orientation or gender identity without a parent present.
Indiana GOP lieutenant governor nominee Micah Beckwith made his extreme positions clear at the Monroe County Republican Party’s Oct. 1 dinner meeting, The Advocate noted. Among other things, he announced plans to fire state employees who use pronouns in their email signatures, claiming the practice is “far-left” ideology. According to the media outlet, Beckwith’s remarks are part of a broader attack on LGBTQ+ rights and personal freedom in Indiana, raising serious concerns about the future of workplace inclusion and the state’s economy.
The right-wing political nonprofit CatholicVote launched an ad campaign in several contested battleground states saying that Vice President Kamala Harris is supporting taxpayer-funded gender reassignment surgeries on children, the National Catholic Reporter noted. In an interview with The New York Post, CatholicVote President Brian Burch described a “trans agenda being pushed on our kids” that he said is being supported by Harris “and her Democratic allies in the Senate.” Pro-LGBTQ+ organizations immediately criticized the ads, with New Ways Ministry Executive Director Francis DeBernardo saying, “It is dangerously irresponsible for CatholicVote to be promoting statistics in a way that makes them seem to be the norm, rather than the exceptions.”
Corey DeAngelis—a foe of public schools and critic of LGBTQ+ rights in education—publicly admitted to his past involvement in gay adult films during an interview with the Christian Broadcasting Network, Out noted. His acknowledgment followed weeks of controversy after videos and images in which he performed under the alias “Seth Rose” surfaced. DeAngelis claimed the scandal was a politically motivated attack by the left and his opponents in the education space, dismissing accusations of hypocrisy. He also said that his personal history doesn’t invalidate his fight to “protect children” from exposure to such content.
The Las Vegas boutique hotel The Bent Inn—marketed toward LGBTQ+ travelers—has closed less than one year after opening for business, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal. On Facebook, Bent Inn co-owners Mark Hunter and Greg Kafka blamed the downtown Las Vegas property’s closure on an ongoing legal battle with the venue’s general contractor. The 33-room hotel opened to the public last fall as the longtime hoteliers and married couple’s first venture in Las Vegas; their company, Escape Resorts, previously operated two gay men’s resorts in Palm Springs. ADJ Contracting filed a lien against the company for a nearly $917,000 balance in unpaid work in April, according to a complaint filed on June 20.
In Michigan, Grand Rapids LGBTQ+ club Rumors is shutting down temporarily, as the building undergoes repairs, per WOOD. Work is set to start on Nov. 4 and expected to end by Dec. 15, in time for the club’s Christmas parties. The property was listed for sale late last year, following the death of the LGBTQ club’s founder. The club has remained open while the family who inherited the property, who live out of state, continue looking for a new owner.